1. A privately managed investment account opened through a brokerage or financial advisor that uses pooled money to buy individual assets. 2. In the context of variable annuities, these are payments made to an insurance company for the purpose of investing in securities. These securities are kept separate from the insurer's general investments. Taobiz explains Separate Account 1. This differs from a mutual fund because the investor directly owns the securities instead of owning a share in a pool of securities. Most separate accounts require a minimum investment of $100,000 or more.
A technical decline is a fall in the price of a security caused by factors other than a change in the fundamental value of the security. Typically a security is said to experience a technical decline when the security or the overall market are trending upwards overall and the price dips downward based on technical factors. Generally the connotation is that a technical decline will prove to be only a momentarily dip in demand, followed by an appreciation back to the fair market value suggested by business fundamentals. Proponents of the efficient market hypothesis dismiss the concept of a technical decline as being inconsistent with what they see as the rational price-setting mechanisms of the stock market. These theorists contend that if the price of a security were to deviate significantly from its fundamental value, market participants would quickly recognize an opportunity for profits and buy the security, increasing its price until it returns to its fundamental value. By contrast, many other investors believe that with sufficient research, it is possible to identify temporary windows in which undervalued securities can be bought, allowing for significant gains from the return to fundamental value.
A market indicator that represents the inverse of a stock's dividend yield, or the ratio of a stock's price to its dividends. It is calculated as: Price Per Share/Annual Dividends Per Share A high senti-meter rating indicates positive sentiment toward a stock, since the price of a share exceeds the stock's dividends. It is also a signal that a stock could be overbought. On the other hand, a low rating could signal an oversold stock that investors are generally bearish about. Taobiz explains Senti-Meter The senti-meter was popularized Edson Gould, who felt that dividend yield was a good measure of how traders viewed a stock and wanted to show how much an investor was willing to pay for a dollar of dividends. The senti-meter can be applied to the market as a whole by dividing an index, such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average, by the average aggregate annual dividends for the companies in the index.
An abbreviation of the Bombay Exchange Sensitive Index (Sensex) - the benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). It is composed of 30 of the largest and most actively-traded stocks on the BSE. Initially compiled in 1986, the Sensex is the oldest stock index in India. Taobiz explains Sensex The index is calculated based on a free-float capitalization method when weighting the effect of a company on the index. This is a variation of the market cap method, but instead of using a company's outstanding shares it uses its float, or shares that are readily available for trading. The free-float method, therefore, does not include restricted stocks, such as those held by company insiders that can't be readily sold. To find the free-float capitalization of a company, first find its market cap (number of outstanding shares x share price) then multiply its free-float factor. The free-float factor is determined by the percentage of floated shares to outstanding. For example, if a company has a float of 10 million shares and outstanding shares of 12 million, the percent of float to outstanding is 83%. A company with an 83% free float falls in the 80-85% free-float factor, or 0.85, which is then multiplied by its market cap (e.g., $120 million (12 million shares x .$10/share) x 0.85 = $102 million free-float capitalization).
A technical analyst, or technician, is a securities researcher who analyzes investments based on past market prices and technical indicators. Technicians believe that short term price movements are the result of supply and demand forces in the market for a given security. Thus, for technicians, the nature of the security is less relevant than the current balance of buyers and sellers. based on careful interpretation of past trading patterns, technicians try to discern this balance with the aim of predicting future price movements. Over time, technicians have developed a large toolbox of analysis techniques and indicators. In general, one technical indicator usually not seen as enough of a basis for making a trading decision. Rather, arrays of indicators are used to provide confirmation of a technician's hypothesis before taking action. There is generally no broad consensus on the best method of identifying future price movements, so most technicians gradually develop their own set of trading rules based on their knowledge and experience.
The first round of financing undergone for a new business venture after seed capital. Generally, this is the first time that company ownership is offered to external investors. Series A financing, may be provided in the form of preferred stock, and may offer anti-dilution provisions in the event that further financing through preferred or common stock occurs in the future. Also known as "A round" or "A round financing". Taobiz explains Series A Financing Series A financing tends to occur when the company is generating some revenue from its business model, but rarely will the business be generating net profits at this point. Most series A investors will be venture capital funds or angel investors that are willing to accept the high levels of risk found in these early-stage company investments. As an enterprise grows and requires additional capital, the subsequent rounds of preferred stock issued to investors are called Series B, Series C, and so on. This allows investors in those subsequent rounds of financing to know where they stand in the hierarchy of claims to future profits. Typically, the business is revalued before each round of financing, so terms of conversion may be vastly different for different rounds depending on the valuation of the company at each stage.
A method of evaluating securities by analyzing statistics generated by market activity, such as past prices and volume. Technical analysts do not attempt to measure a security's intrinsic value, but instead use charts and other tools to identify patterns that can suggest future activity. Watch: Fundamental Vs. Technical Analysis Technical analysts believe that the historical performance of stocks and markets are indications of future performance. In a shopping mall, a fundamental analyst would go to each store, study the product that was being sold, and then decide whether to buy it or not. By contrast, a technical analyst would sit on a bench in the mall and watch people go into the stores. Disregarding the intrinsic value of the products in the store, the technical analyst's decision would be based on the patterns or activity of people going into each store.
An exam administered by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and otherwise known as the Research Analyst Qualification Exam. Professionals who pass the exam can function as research analysts for FINRA-member broker/dealers. Research analysts are primarily responsible for producing the content in research reports, and their names will appear on the reports. The exam is actually two-in-one. The Series 86 (100 questions) tests research analysis knowledge, while the Series 87 (50 questions) tests knowledge of industry rules and best practices. A total of four hours is given to complete the Series 86 and 90 minutes is provided for the Series 87; a score of 70% or better is required for passing. Taobiz explains Series 86/87 People who have already passed both Part I and Part II of the Chartered Financial Analyst Exam may request an exemption from the Series 86 portion only. For those without a CFA, the Series 7 is a prerequisite for the combined exam. The exam requires a thorough knowledge of not only company analysis, but also industry analysis, management study and knowledge of broad supply and demand parameters for a given industry or sector. Financial metrics should be well-understood at this point, as well as earnings modeling methods and industry dynamics for the purposes of creating useful and accurate financial reports that will be used to educate and assist sales staff.